An arm rest comprises an inner padding layer that is surrounded by a prefabricated covering layer or skin layer. The skin layer may be a wound or blown layer. Such arm rests are produced in large quantities for use as original equipment in motor vehicles.
Heretofore, the side and bottom walls that define an ashtray insert recess in the arm rest were not formed of the skin layer. Instead, the skin layer was drawn down along the vertical walls of the ashtray recess only a short distance and were connected with the inner padding layer beneath the skin layer at the time of the manufacture of the arm rest. The side walls of the ashtray recess itself were formed of a second part, usually an injection-molded plastic body, which was inserted into the ashtray recess and which was additionally bonded or welded to the arm rest.